Direction-indicator for motor-vehicles



.J. M. GRISWOLD.

DIREC T|0N lNDlCATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLlCATlON FILED AUG. 30, 1919.

1,369Q336. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[NV "NTOR.

ATTORNEY.

XPPLICATION FILED AUG. 30. 1919.

Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEE,TSSHEET 2- A TTORNEYQ .UNITED STATES' PATENT O FIC JOHN GRISWOLD, 0F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

nmncrron-rlvnron'ron ronj MOTOR-VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN M; GRIswoLn, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident ofSyracusain the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certam new and useful Direction-Indicator for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to direction indicators formotor vehicles and has for its ob' ject a direction indicator which is particularly simple in construction and h1ghly ethcient and durable in use, and in. which the -moving parts are housed within a casing and .wFig. 3 1s an enlarged sectional view on .line 3-8, Fig. 1.

s Fig. 4: is an edge view of the indicator member and signal member carried thereby.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view ofthe body.

of a motor car showing one way of applying my direction indicator thereto.

Figs. 6 and 7am respectively, a plan and elevation'of the handle lever and contiguous parts for controlling the operation of the indicator member.

This direction indicator comprises gener ally, a background member or plate having a cutout, an indicator member or pointer movable over the face of the background plate and a signal member movable with the indicator member but in the rear of the background plate and into and out of reg1stration with the cutout, and means for operating the indicator member.

This direction indicator also comprises a" case completely housing the background, indicator member and the portion of the mechanism for operating the mechanism.

1 designates the background member or plate which is discoidal in general form, and

formed with a segmental cutout 2therein.

3 is the indicator member which is in the Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d 14 b 22 1921 Application filed August 30, 1919. Serial No. 320,793.

form of a pointer or arrow movable about an axis over the lace of the background 1.

l 1s the signal'member movable with the 'arrow 3 to the rear-of the background plate 1 and into andout of alinement with the cutout 2. This signal member 4 is preferably The means for operating the indicator member 8 comprises a pinion 5 mounted upon a shaft or arbor 6onwh1ch the indicator member 3 is mounted, a rack 7 meshing with the pinion, means as a pull cord 8 con- .nectedto the rack to move the samein one direction, and a spring 9 connected to the rack to move the same in the opposite direcerating means just described are located withina case 13 which is discoidal in general form or in the form of a short cylinder,

and the shaft or arbor 6 is mounted on one end wall of the cylinder; the rack carrier 10 is pivoted to said end wall in the rear of the background plate; and the spring 9 which is connected at one end to the rack 7 is connected at its other end at ll to said wall. I I

The front end of the cylinder 01' case is "closed by a transparent or glass plate 15 The words Front? and Rear are usedw1th respect to the view point of the observer and not with respect to the way the devise 1s mounted upon a vehlcle as 1n some instances as shown in Fig. 5'the indicator may i be mounted upon the vehicle to face rearwardly in which case the front sideof the indicator which is to signal traffic in the rear, faces toward the rear end of the vehicle.

If desired, the indicator may face forwardly on the vehicle, or a signal indicator may be of double construction so asto have a background plate; an arrow, etc.', on each side thereof. I p

A suitable lamp housing 16 is mounted upon the peripheral wall of the case 13 and arranged to overhang the face of the indicator and the service wires 17 for said lamp as here shown extend through the peripheral wall of the case along the inside of the case into the housing 16.

The casing may be provided with means for attachment to any convenient part of the vehicle and as here shown it is provided With a base by means of which it is mountable upon the fender of the vehicle.

19 designates the base which is mountable upon the fender 20 and is provided with two upstanding lugs 21 coacting with depending lugs 22 on the. casing, clamping screws 23 being passed through the lugs 21 and 22. y K

The base plate also has legs 2 1 thereon by means of which the base will find a bearg I fender.

ing on fenders of different curvature and with different crowns. Owing to the clamping screws 23 the case can be adjusted to different angles relatively to the base 19 after the base 19 has been properlyplaced on the The pull cord 8 for operating the arrow 3 extends to the outside of the case 13 through the peripheral wall thereof and is operable by any suitable means located within reachof the driver of the vehicle.

here shown, this cord 8 extends through a tube 25 connected at one endto the peripheral wall of the case or to a nipple 26 and at its other end to a nipple 27 provided on a sector 28 secured at any convenient place on the vehicle and to which is pivoted a hand lever 29 to which the cord 8 is connected, the sector 28 being provided with suitable sockets 30 into which the lever snaps to determine the position of the arrow 3. v

As here shown, the sector is mounted on the inner face of the door 31 of the vehicle body and the tube 25 extends along the fender and running board through the body to the case 28 on the door. Thii'stube is commercially flexible and is usually made up of a coiled wire.

In the event two indicators are employed, one at the front end and the other at the rear end of thevehicle, two pulley wires are operated by the lever 29 instead of one. 7

In operation, when the driver of the vehicle intends to drive straight ahead or is driving straight ahead, shifts the lever 29 into the notch 31, such movement permitting the spring 9 to move the rack 8 and pinion 6 and shift the arrow 3 until itpoints upwardly and position the stop signal behind the upper portion of the background plate 1. hen he intends to turn in one direction as to the right, he shifts the lever 29 from the notch 32 into the notch 33 thus pulling on the cord 8 and shift'mgthe arrow 3 so that it points to the right, the stop signal 4. being still located behind the background plates. When he intends'to turn to the left he shifts the lever 29 into the'stop 34C. The spring 9 now contracts and pulls the cord 8 in the tube 25. The stopsignal 4; also remains behind the background plate 1.

lVhenhe intends to come to a stop he pushes the lever forward as far as it will i go into the position shown in Fig. 7 thus bringing the arrow andthe stop signal inf the position shown in Fig. 1.

lVhat I claim is:

A direction indicator for motor vehicles comprising a stationary background member formed with a cutout and an indicator, 1

her into and out of registration with the cutout, the background member having a passage for the deflected portion of the in- ,dicator member, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony. whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Syracuse in the county 1 V of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 11th day'of August, 1919. r

' JOHN M.

eai'swoLng 

